New Digitised Records Complete Navy Careers

Tuesday 28 July 2015, London Today, The National Archives announced the release of two newly-digitised series of naval service records.

These particular documents are ‘records of service’ specific to Ratings and will potentially enable researchers to complete the careers of any Royal Navy Rating who enlisted before 1923 and served after 1924.

For example, Joseph BALDOCK from Portsmouth served on HMS Despatch during 1926 and Francis Herbert IMAGE from London served on HMS Mantis during the same period. Both men were awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) for service at Wanhsien on 5 September 1926 with their names appearing in the London Gazette on 6 May 1927.

The records go on to show that both men continued with their naval career and served in the Second World War.

William Spencer, Records Specialist at The National Archives said:

“This is a major step forward for those looking to complete the record of service of pre WW2 naval ratings. Now that these records have been digitised and made available, it is easier to cross-reference information and get a clearer, picture of naval careers.”

The records of service of those men who joined the service before 1923 are already available at The National Archives and online in the series ADM 188 and ADM139 but information relating to those men who continued to serve after 1923 or who joined after 1924 were held by the Ministry of Defence until now. For those that joined after 1926, service records remain at the MoD.

The digitised records for men who served in the RN between 1924 and 1929 are now available in the records series ADM 362 online. These records in format and content are similar to those in ADM 188.

The continuation cards for those men who have the stamp “Record Transferred to Card as from 1 Jan 1929” on their ADM 362 record have also been digitised and are in the series ADM 363. These record cards are double sided and once again the information contained on the cards, is similar to that in ADM 188 and ADM 362.

For media enquiries please contact Press Office, The National Archives on 0208 392 5277 or e-mail: press@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

About The National Archives: The National Archives is a government department and an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). As the official archive of the UK government and England and Wales, we look after and make available to the public a collection of historical records dating back over 1,000 years, including records as diverse as Domesday Book and MI5 files.

Our 21st-century role is to collect and secure the future of the record, both digital and physical, to preserve it for generations to come, and to make it as accessible as possible. We do this by devising technological solutions to ensure the long-term survival of public records and working to widen access to our collection. The National Archives also advises on information management across government, publishes all UK legislation, manages Crown copyright and leads the archive sector. We work to promote and improve access to public sector information and its re-use. www.nationalarchives.gov.uk www.legislation.gov.uk

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